STRONG(ER) WORLD Scene Eight

Scene Eight: The Village

Back at the village, Sanji was beginning to wake up finding himself in a boat of all things. As he sat up, he took noticed that Usopp-face frozen in terror despite being unconscious- and then took a look of their surroundings. They were on the edge of a village with adobe houses on stone foundations with straw roofs. Not too far off, Sanji could see young children helping some older woman while other older woman were out talking or doing other tasks. As Sanji observed the village carefully, Usopp had finally woken up and picked himself up to see what was going on. The moment he looked out, he was surprised to see the village and its people.

"This island is inhabited?" As Usopp looked at the people, he immediately caught an odd sight. All of the people had feathers growing out of their forearms. Usopp found this very unusual, and Sanji soon spoke up commented.

"Have you noticed, Usopp?" Usopp looked over to Sanji, thinking that they were on the same page and quickly agreed with his friend.

"Yeah…" As they both watched the daily activities of the villagers Sanji continued speaking in all seriousness.

"This village…has no maidens."

"That's what you've noticed?!"

"Are you awake?" Once Usopp had finished yelling at Sanji's perverted nature, a woman came walking up to the two with drink mugs for them. She walked onto the dock as she approached the two men handing them their drinks as she continued to speak. "I was surprised. You suddenly fell from the sky. I'm glad you're doing well."

"Thank you."

"Thank you, madam."

"Come on, don't call me madam."

"And those feathers on your arms?" As the woman sat down on the dock next to the two men as well as being humble to Sanji's compliment, Sanji politely pointed out the feathers on the woman's arm. The woman raised her arm showing it to the man without hesitation as well as looking over it herself.

"You mean this? For some reason, people from the village have these."

"Heh…" Sanji seem to accept the answer, though not really understanding why. Sanji then noticed the lacking physic of the woman as well as the other villagers and carefully asked inquired. "Is the village shot on food? Everybody is skinny."

"Eh?" The woman was surprised to hear the young man's question. The woman then brought her feathered arm behind her back wondering if the man was somewhat uncomfortable. She then answered Sanji's question trying to sound fine. "That's because all men and maidens are summoned to the royal palace. The remainder are unable to work, so we just live to manage the day."

Both men were shocked hearing why the village was in such a way. Not understanding why, Usopp spoke both in question and his own personal opinion. "Why is that? It sounds horrible."

"Well, if we oppose Shiki, it'd spell doom for us."

"Shiki?!" Both Straw Hats recognized the name and reacted differently; Sanji in anger for kidnapping Nami and Mika and Usopp in fear having seen what the man could do. The woman continued with her explanation seeing as both men were familiar with who Shiki was.

"That's right. He has complete control over us. Furthermore…" As the woman tried to explain, she caught something out of the corner of her eye and gasped. "Huh! Hide, you two!" Suddenly the woman came at the two men pushing them down to the boat's floor.

"Ouch!" Usopp spoke in discomfort as the woman had slammed the man's head into the wood. With his long nose bleeding, Usopp raised his head up yelling at the woman. "What the hell are you doing?"

The woman didn't reply as she stared out back into the village. Seeing that she wouldn't talk at this moment, Usopp followed her gaze. Both men carefully popped their heads up above the boat looking into the village wondering what was going on. Crawling at a slow pace, a large blue snail with huge lips and a pink shell with an antenna on top of it was passing through the street looking at each person in its sight. Of course, the two men knew what the snail looked exactly and gasped. "It's huge! What is that?"

"It's the so-called self-propelled image-transmission Transponder Snail. Any image captured is sent directly back to the royal palace." As the woman explained, the giant snail began looking over a few people as if showcasing its ability to the newcomers. Usopp and Sanji then ducked back down as they looked back at the woman surprised. The poor woman was sweating tiredly as she shook her head with a grim look.

"We're constantly being watched. If someone shows any signs of opposition, he or she will be killed immediately as a warning to the rest."

Somewhere close by, the mammoth was stomping its way towards the Xiao's village. However it suddenly smelled something in the air and suddenly freaked. As the mammoth reeled back in disgust its three riders-the order now being Chopper, in Brain Point, Xiao, and then Zoro-fell back and off the mammoth into a shallow stream. As all the small figures fell on Zoro, they all watched confusedly as the mammoth ran back in the opposite direction of where they were going. Zoro pounded the waterbed underneath him as he watched in frustration as the mammoth run off.

"What's with it all of a sudden?"

"It's the smell." Hearing Chopper's nasally voice, Zoro and Xiao looked back to Chopper as his eyes began tearing up while he covered his nose. He then went on to further explain the effects of what the scent was doing to his nose. "The inside of my nose feel like it's getting shocked. Can't you feel it?"

While Zoro was not sure what the little reindeer was talking about, it seemed that Xiao knew exactly what was affecting Chopper's nose. "It's the 'Draft Green'." Not familiar with the term, Zoro replied in his usual manner giving the girl a confused glare. Hearing her friend confused, Xiao quickly explained what she had just mentioned.

"Our village is surrounded by a kind of plant called Daft Green. It protects us from the animals. Animals hate their smell after all."

"You bet." Chopper cried out in disgusted pain as he continued to cover his nose, though having little affect stopping the scent. Being the usual tough guy, Zoro stood up as he gave Chopper a suggestion in stopping the scent.

"Then cork your nose with something. Let's go." Zoro then began walking down the stream as was the direction the mammoth was going. Chopper and Xiao quickly followed behind him as they all walked to Xiao's village. Eventually the group left the small stream only to find exactly what Xiao had explained to them earlier. Planted in front of them was big radish like trees. Zoro was quick to be the first to ask as he approached the closest one.

"This is the plant?" Xiao nodded her head confirming that the plant was indeed Daft Green. Chopper than stepped up, his nose plugged with paper, as reconfirmed by complaining.

"I can still smell it with my nose cork."

"Now that you mention, it sure stinks."

"You're too slow!"

'Don't try to inhale too much; it's poisonous." Speaking up, Xiao gave them both a quick warning surprising the man who had just touched the plant.

"Say that earlier!"

Sometime later, the group had finally made it inside the circle of Daft Green where Xiao's village lied in the middle. Now in the village, Zoro and Chopper were currently inside one of the houses, Xiao's house to be exact, standing at the door patiently. With a loud wham, Chopper flinched while Zoro remained watching as their little guide was slapped. Xiao remained firm though would cry at any minute as she looked to the one that had slapped her in confusion. In front of her was an aging woman with similar hair color as the girl and in similar clothing as she yelled at the girl both angrily but also worriedly.

"Didn't I tell you not to out the border of Daft Green?!" The little girl's eyes widen becoming watery as she held up the plant she had been holding for the longest time. She spoke to the women sounding very hurt.

"But… All I wanted to do was to save Grandma…" Woman, most likely the girl's mother, gasped in shock hearing the girl's reason. Xiao herself was trying to not cry believing she had done this for a good cause. While the mother and daughter stared at each other speechless, a soft voice spoke up.

"Xiao…" The little girl looked behind where her mother stood. An elderly woman with some green splotches on the left side of her face, mostly likely the girl's grandma, sat up from her bed as she looked at her grandchild with as much worry as her daughter did. She then spoke in a quiet tone as she tried to persuade the girl. "Don't risk your life for me."

As the shadows revealed the elderly woman's face, Chopper had instantly noticed the green splotched on the woman and recognized it as a disease. Meanwhile, the little girl walked up to her grandma as she tried to explain herself as well as trying to keep the tears back. "But… If you stay as you are… Grandma will…"

Finally, the little girl burst into tears not being able to stand the thought of losing her grandmother. The older woman, though just as willing to cry other the possible loss of her mother, but kept her emotions in check as she addressed their two guests giving them her appreciation. "Thank you very much… Guys… I would like to repay you…"

"We just happened to bump into her." Zoro spoke casually, as if it were really no big deal.

"That's right. She ended up helping us too." Speaking up, Chopper than added to what Zoro said though a bit more appreciating. However he had more to say as he stepped forward stating to become more professional. "More importantly, what's her illness?"

The older women expression turned grim as she explained what was happening to her mother. "It's an illness called Daft. Any part of the body with the green lumps gets stiffened up, and eventually the person will be unable to move. It's the result of inhaling too much pollen from Daft Green. The only cure can be made from a plant called IQ, but…We need more than just one."

"That's why she ventured into that place alone." Chopper's eyes widen, now he realized why such a young girl, unprepared for the environment, would leave the safety of this protected village.

"I'm sorry." Still sounding a bit tearful, Xiao crouched down wiping the following tears from her eyes. Immediately, Xiao's mother went to her daughter's side as she gave her a hug trying to reassure her crying daughter.

"It's not your fault. The bad guy is Shiki who monopolized the IQ." Xiao immediately hugged back to her mother as she cried into the woman's shoulder. Upon hearing that man's name, Chopper and Zoro recognized who they were talking about. Just to be sure, Chopper spoke up trying to reconfirm.

"Shiki? Did you say Shiki?"

"Twenty-two years ago, humans, plants, and animals coexisted peacefully. But that man ruined everything."

"I wish they'd just leave… To the Sea of Stratagems…" As mother and daughter tried to comfort each other; the mother speaking on more peaceful times while Xiao just wanted the man and his men to leave. Hearing the woeful tears and cries for a better life, Zoro and Chopper were confused as to what this 'Sea of Stratagems' was, but all they could figure was that it was Shiki's goal.

The two soon left leaving the family to themselves as they stepped outside. Zoro was the first to step out followed by the Chopper shutting the door behind him as Zoro asked a question out of curiosity. "Can't you do anything about that?"

"I've never seen this kind of disease before. I don't want to make it worse."

"Anyway, we won't get attack by those animals as long as we stay here, right?"

"Yeah. I can still smell a little bit of Daft Green here, but at the very least, I can stand it." As the reindeer spoke, he proved his words correct as he took out his nose pugs as well as not speaking in a nasally way. However he then looked worriedly at Zoro as he continued on to say. "But I wonder if everyone's alright…especially Mika and Akio."

"Yeah, me too." Agreeing with the doctor, Zoro took a few paces forward where a stairway leading to lower ground was placed. He then sat his three swords and small bag against the fence as he sat down speaking almost tiredly. "We'll start looking for them again after a quick rest."

Chopper seemed to agree. The little reindeer than fell back as his rear landed on the step leading into the house also speaking with a tired tone and expression. "I'm all worn out."

Walking up a dirt road, once the giant Transponder Snail had finally slinked away, Sanji and Usopp were now walking amongst the villagers. Both looked very tired, which they hadn't been displaying as the creatures would immediately attack if shown weakness. Sanji was the first to speak speaking tiredly as he complained. "I feel weird…I can't move my body…"

"You're telling me." Agreeing with Sanji, Usopp followed the man's lead as he rested at the bottom of a stone stairway to one of the houses.  Sanji immediately plopped down on a stair while Usopp continued to speak. "We haven't had the slightest bit of good rest for a whole week!" Usopp joined Sanji standing near the man's resting spot as he spoke just as tiredly as his friend did. However, when he looked up, Usopp gasped finding Zoro resting on the top step just above them.

After a few seconds, both men seemed to have sensed each other's presences. Both Zoro and Sanji looked in each other's direction, but didn't react far from their usual tired tone. But the two did speak, though it was of greatest moment of uncaring, as they mirrored each other's statement. "What? It's you…"

Usopp stared in disbelief both at how quickly he and Sanji found Zoro as well as how uncaring they were of each other even in this situation. Usopp then began to look from one man to the other still unbelieving in how stubborn they were. Hearing Zoro from his spot, Chopper took the time and energy to see who Zoro was talking to revealing his presence to Usopp. Upon seeing them, Chopper was instantly overjoyed as he rushed down the stairs.

"Sanji! Usopp!" The little reindeer then jumper off the stairs and gave Usopp a hug, though the long nosed man was still flabbergasted at their coincidental meeting.